The corner of 92nd Street and McKellips Road is going to get a massive upgrade in the coming years from the Salt River Fire Department. A new fire station, Station 295, is scheduled to open there in early 2027. The station will measure more than 40,000 square feet and house sleeping and living areas for up to 16 firefighters.

“The biggest improvement will be in reducing the response time,” said Daniel Angulo, senior project manager for the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community’s Engineering & Construction Services Department. “The casino and homes across the street [in the area] receive a lot of calls, so we’re looking to reduce that [response] time,” said Angulo.

The goal will be to reduce response time by 50%.

“When someone experiences an emergency, every second counts,” said Angulo. “The driver behind [Fire Station] 295 is definitely to help people in the Community quickly and effectively,” he added.

The new station will house six truck bays, two more than the largest fire station in the Community has now. In addition to the firefighters’ living quarters, it will feature staff offices for SRPMIC Emergency Management, covered patios, and a storage and resource building which will allow for small repairs on fire equipment.

On April 2 at the SRPMIC Community Building, the Salt River Fire Department held an open house for Community members. Members were given a sneak peek at the plans for Station 295, which will be designed in a desert theme featuring hues of red and black.

Perlman Architects of Arizona has been working closely with the SRFD on the design and planning of the facility. In a series of meetings, the firm has worked to gain a better understanding of the needs of the SRFD and the Community at large.

To meet the goal of opening the new station in early 2027, SRFD and Perlman hope to finalize the architectural design by the end of this year.

“We hope to break ground and start construction in the early part of next year,” Angulo stated.